If ice cream was going away tomorrow, you would probably be tempted to gorge on it today, right? Well, same principle applies to crime. Crime’s going away tomorrow, so Graham and Shelby and their like-minded companions continue their rampage today. Things have gotten pretty ugly, but it looks like everything is going mostly according to plan. Except that not all criminals are criminals for the same reason. Some have secret agendas, and some have no agenda at all. It’s not easy to say which is more dangerous for an ordinary criminal, just trying to make that last big score.

Graphically, Last Days is a solid, classic style. Bold, strong lines, generally muted color palette, old school “BLAMM!” gunfire. However, what seems simple, almost simplistic at first, is deceptive. The illustrations and colors are expressive and slick, but subtle enough that maybe the reader won’t notice unless she’s thinking about it. It’s all very coherent and synchronized, with precisely placed deviations and highlights. It is so expertly done that even the contrast of dialog bubbles has relevant impact in some scenes, and is not simply the coincidental drop-out white that talk bubbles generally are.

If you’ve read the first two in the series, you’re not going to miss this one, and if you’ve not read the first two, go read those first. But then, read this one! It’s a balls-out action rocket that even John Woo would tip his hat to. Those who are troubled by interpersonal violence, stealing from the government, government mind control and a little bit of backstabbing probably should move along. As it says on the cover (Mature Readers), The Last Days of American Crime isn’t for kids, so if you find a kid reading it, be prepared to explain what a psychopath is, and how Alzheimer’s works, and why going to Mexico for illegal medical treatments seems like a good idea sometimes.